


Love Potion Problems

by WhatTheWaterbear



Series: Spooky Season Chronicles [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Arya Stark & Sansa Stark Have a Good Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gendry and Arya are best friends, Halloween Prompts, Idiots in Love, Modern magic AU, Mutual Pining, POV Arya Stark, Past Harrold Hardyng/Sansa Stark, Past Joffrey Baratheon/Sansa Stark, Slow Burn, halloween party, idiots to lovers, love potions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28639875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatTheWaterbear/pseuds/WhatTheWaterbear
Summary: Trying to use *almost* every prompt fromthis prompt listArya gets caught in the middle of one of Sansa's love potion plots gone awry. The biggest party of the year turns into the longest night of Arya's life when bottles get mixed up and she is stuck babysitting her spellbound best friend
Relationships: Arya Stark & Sansa Stark, Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Series: Spooky Season Chronicles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2098794
Comments: 10
Kudos: 69





	1. Beware the Witching Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on too many of the prompts from [this glorious list](https://oopsbirdficced.tumblr.com/post/188070928759/halloween-themed-prompt-list)  
> The night before Halloween is celebrated with all the movies and snacks that two Stark girls can take, but scary movies aren't for everyone.

_**October 30th 11:56PM** _

When Arya’s phone lights up with one of the rare pictures of Gendy laughing, Sansa is searching under the couch for the remote while the credits from the second movie in their lineup rollGrabbing her phone and the popcorn bowl she heads to the kitchen for some more snacks and checks her messages.

She puts the popcorn bowl down on the counter and rubs her temples. Arya can feel herself absorbing Gendry’s agitation by the headache that’s already forming, but she has to be patient with Hot Pie if she’s going to get out of this. The last time she came over this late, she fell asleep on their living room floor and woke up being carried to a real bed by a surprisingly gentle Gendry. She thought it was a dream, and well, Arya can’t have a repeat of that feeling tornado. Food. Food is something that Hot Pie can understand.

The next messages come in simultaneously and she has to laugh at how intense both of her friends are.

She can feel Gendry thinking through the phone, but when a few minutes pass without a sarcastic remark, she can tell that the image of a daredevil Hot Pie did the trick. He agrees with her that in no universe should that exist, and for a moment Arya thinks that she’s off the hook. 

She grabs a soda while waiting for the popcorn and notices a few telltale bottles on the middle shelf, “Sansa, stop putting your potion ingredients in the fridge!”

She's gonna kill him. It's like he wants her to make a fool of herself on a threadbare couch in a living room that perpetually smells like stale beer at 4am. Arya is not about to loose her dignity and best friend because Hot Pie is scared of a gentle breeze.

Crisis averted and popcorn in hand, Arya plops back down next to Sansa just as the opening credits for Hocus Pocus start.

"What did Gendry need?"

"Hot Pie was just being ridiculous again."

Sansa inspected the tray of lemon cakes before picking one with two lemon slices on top. "So he wanted you to come over."

"Don't make this a thing. It's not like that and you know it, Sans."

"It's always been like that, Ar. This little dance you two are doing has got to stop. You've been pining after him, for what, six years? Isn't that exhausting?"

"I'll have you know I am an excellent dancer. Four time regional champ and all."

The two girls laughed harder than expected at that. Arya rolls onto her back, clutching her stomach, but as they both regained their breath Sansa's sigh is more exasperated than before. "But seriously, Arya, Gendry looks at you like you're the Maiden herself. When are you going to put that poor boy out of his misery?"

Arya can't help the amused huff, and Sansa looks confused, but Gendry gets her. He knows she's more Stranger than Maiden. On a good day, she might pass for the Warrior, but not the Maiden. No, the Maiden is more Sansa's speed. That's not her. And Gendry knows her better than anyone. She's not losing that over a crush.

"I don't know, Sans, I'm sure at some point I'll piss someone off enough to curse me into saying every thought that pops into my head."

Sansa is cackling now, "LIKE YOU DON'T ALREADY"

"Hey, I have some self restraint." Arya sits up, schools her features and looks dead into her sister's eyes. " I have never once said, 'My Gen, you are looking sexy as fuck this good evening, would you mind ever so much if I were to climb you like a tree?'" Arya breaks and the two girls are clutching each other's arms and howling with laughter.

With tears streaming down her face, Sansa eeks out, "I-I really think you should..J-Just like that. I WOULD DIE!"

"Let me at least tell Aunt Lysa what I think of her first!"

Their squeals drown out the rest of the movie as they continue to imagine the kind of chaos unfiltered Arya could wreak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Thank you for reading! Your comments gave me inspiration to edit more of what I had already written for this story and post again. If you are following this story, I highly recommend subscribing to the series as a Gendry POV will be posted there for the next update. 
> 
> I have a good amount written for this, so there may be more frequent updates in the next few weeks. Also, if you would like to help me beta this series, please hit me up on [tumblr!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/what-the-waterbear)


	2. Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble

_**October 31st 8:43AM  
** _

She _knows_ she will regret this. 

The second she saw Sansa setting up for a titration, she kissed her coffee goodbye and avoided even looking at the kitchen for the rest of the morning. Sansa has pulled this scheme before, and with the Halloween party tonight, Arya really shouldn’t be surprised. 

It’s been awhile since the last time Sansa decided a love potion could solve her problems, but no amount of time will be able to scrub the image of Joffrey attempting to rip his shirt off in the middle of Sansa’s debutante ball from Arya’s mind. She found it much funnier when Harry’s eyes flashed pink at his own reflection. Falling in love with himself seemed all too fitting to Arya, but the way Sansa moped for the rest of their ski trip in the Eyrie was unbearable. Luckily, Sansa was able to be talked out of giving the blush concoction to Loras. The walking nightmares that normally won Sansa’s affections could stand some good, old-fashioned public humiliation, but Loras was never unkind. That was a long conversation though and Arya had to pull Margaery in for back up. Sansa was normally too observant for her own good, but when her heart was involved she was entirely oblivious.

The dull thud of Sansa’s forehead hitting the counter reverberates through the room, snapping Arya out of her memories of love potions past. She’s been ignoring Sansa’s huffing for hours now, and not for the first time today, Arya thinks that with her years of practice, Sansa should have been finished by now. 

It’s well past noon, and they will have to start getting ready soon if Arya was going to get Sansa’s contouring right. Otherwise, Sansa will just look like another angel instead of Jonquil from the 90s movie, and Sansa needs time to braid Arya’s hair. Arya closes her eyes and tosses her head back. She can already picture the aggressive fuschia liquid that’s mocking her sister right now. She takes a final moment to let out a long breath before launching herself off the couch.

As she walks toward their kitchen, her sister’s lab comes into view. There are ingredients scattered across the countertop with index cards keeping everything labeled. The color coded notes in Sansa’s iconic script are mostly obscured by the puddle of Auburn hair in the center of the island confirming what Arya already knew. A massive leather bound book sits in juxtaposition to the beakers behind it. Arya runs her fingers over the dire wolf embossed on the cover as she speaks, “I thought you would be the ‘love potion queen’ by now.” 

The puddle only groans in response.

“Where did you go wrong?” 

The puddle shifts and Tully eyes peek up at her from the counter. “Everywhere” Sansa grumbles. 

_Sansa must be flustered about this guy if she’s this frustrated._ Arya looks at the ceiling and sighs, “I’ll mix up the solution, and you can get more of the titrant ready.”

“I thought you swore off all spells that don’t involve pranking Theon.”

She’s _really_ going to regret this. “ **It’s a love potion! What could possibly go wrong?** ” she quips. “At least this party will be interesting.”

That apparently was all the convincing Sansa needed. She perked up almost instantly and handed Arya a beaker. 

After 20 minutes, the solutions were ready, and Arya was finally pouring her first cup of coffee. She hummed at the smell, but her relaxation was interrupted by the anxious tapping of Sansa’s nails on the counter. “I’ve messed up on the titration 8 times today, Arya. EIGHT.” Sansa’s brows were twisted together in an uncharacteristic way that could only be described as dread.

“I’ll watch the titration while you braid my hair.”

“Really?” Her face relaxed and Sansa was as giddy as ever now.

“Don’t make me regret this” She already did.

Sansa just squealed and ran off to get the hair supplies.

Arya was already getting bored, and the tugging on her scalp was not helping her concentration. She’s no longer surprised that Sansa had messed this part up eight times. Staring at the clear liquid drop by drop was agonizing. But if she missed the telltale powder pink sparkle, the whole potion would be ruined. It’s amazing how finicky love potions can be. One drop under and the potion is clear as glass, one drop over and the vibrant magenta goo will haunt your dreams. Arya has always been quick though. She caught the stopper sophomore year before Shireen even noticed their solution had a faint rose color. She remembered Professor Forel’s advice, _“You must be quick as a snake and calm as still water to perfect a love potion on the first try.”_

As Sansa was tying off the first braid with one of the leather ribbons Arya bought, Arya realized something. “Who is this for anyway?” 

“Someone I’ve known a long time.”

Arya wanted to roll her eyes at her sister for being so cryptic, but she couldn’t risk glancing away from the beaker for a second. “And who is that?”

“I don’t want to jinx anything”

Arya huffed a laugh. “And a love potion isn’t going to jinx it” 

“Love potions don’t always _force_ people to fall in love.”

Okay, now Arya was just confused. She’s seen her fair share of love potions in action. They never go as planned, but someone’s always lovesick by the end of the night. That’s the whole point.

Sansa stepped around Arya and opened the thick gray book where a red ribbon poked out from the textured pages. Her finger scanned the page and stopped on the passage she was looking for. In a clear tone far too similar to their mother’s she read: 

> “With this elixir the shade of a new lover’s cheeks, 
> 
> the drinker’s affections shall be unleashed, 
> 
> for on the first subject their eyes have met, 
> 
> their foolish heart shall be fully set...”

“SEE--” Sansa’s hand was quickly blocking her view of the potion, causing Arya to lose her train of thought in the effort not to be bested by a liquid. 

Sansa continued, 

> “ ...Though woe to the hopeless enchanter shall be, 
> 
> when the subject’s attachments are not fully free, 
> 
> for love bound hearts will not so easily break, 
> 
> no potion can change a claim already staked.” 

“Wow Sans, _thanks_ . It’s not like _I can also read_ ”

Sansa huffed seemingly more frustrated than her time as a puddle. “If someone drinks a love potion, then they’re going to act like an idiot and fall for the first person they see”

“I hate to break it to you, but I took Advanced Potions with Forel, and I’m also _older than 5_.” Arya hasn’t blinked in a full minute and Sansa needs to get to the point already.

“BUT if someone is already in love, this potion can’t change that. It will just _reveal_ that. I know better than anyone that once your heart is involved it all comes out in moron. People in love are too stubborn to change their heart’s desire over a drink. Love’s already made them stupid enough all by itself.”

“Oh.” Something sparkling catches her attention. “OH SHIT!” Arya lunges for the burette, but Sansa beats her to it.

“Thanks for your help, Arya! I have a feeling this time it’s going to work as planned.”

Arya can only stare at the sparkling blush liquid. A shiver runs down her spine when she thinks of eyes that flash pink before turning wild. “Good luck with that, Sans”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So with everything that's currently happening, it's basically still spooky season, right? Anyway, I have a lot more to add to this story, but for the foreseeable future, this will be a one-shot.
> 
> The potion creation described is based on a titration of potassium if you are so interested.
> 
> Thank you to the lovely @JJClark for the encouragement to post!
> 
> You can find other drabbles and Gendrya content on my tumblr.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find other drabbles and Gendrya content on [my tumblr.](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/what-the-waterbear)


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